Facsimile recorder



W. G. H. FINCH FAC S IMILEV RECORDER Dec. 18, 1945.

original Filed Feb.l 1o, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l n o i mx Y ATTORNEY De@ la, 3945. W. G; H. FINCH i 2,391,145

FACS IMILE RECORDER Original Filed Feb. lO, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 1s, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FACSIMILE RECORDER William G. H. Finch, Newtown, Conn., assignor to Finch Telecommunications, Inc., Passaic, N.' J., a corporation of Delaware original application February 1o, 1940, serial No.

318,230. Divided and this application September 15, 1942, Serial No. 458,397

f 3 Claims. (Cl. 234-71) Many other objects and uses f the invention y lwill in part be apparent and in part pointed out in the following description and drawings, inv

which:

Figure l is a view in perspective of a complete facsimile combination receiver and transmitter embodying my novel recording stylus support.

Figure 2 is a detail view of my novel recording stylus support. f

Referring now to Figure 1, I have here shown my facsimile transceiver or duplex unit comprising a transmitting drum 20, a receiving drum 2| and an outer covering 22.

It will be noted that both the transmitting and receiving drums are readily accessible from the outside of the unit for immediate fuse by the operator thereof. The transmitting drum 20 may readily be removed by the release of the securing means 23 for the purpose of wrapping a picture to be transmitted about the same, and the receiving drum 2| comprises securing garter springs 12| for securely wrapping a recording sheet about the drum 2|. As may readily be seen, it is not necessary tu remove the receiving drum 2| in order to wrap a recording sheet about the same, while the transmitting drum may readily be removable for this purpose. Inparticular adaptations of my device it may be possible to make both the recording and transmitting drums readily removable in exactly the sam'e manner or it may be possible to make both the transmitting and receiving drums permanently positioned in the apparatus. The transmitting drum 20 and the receiving drum 2| may be driven, supported andsynchrornized in the manner shown in my Patent No. 2,295,572.

The receiver scanner shown in Figure 2 is driven by a suitable connection (not shown) from shaft |50 of receiving drum 2| to the shaft 343 which carries screw 344. The receiver scanner is thus drivenl in synchronism with drum 2|.

As is seen in Figure 2, my novel receiving-scanning device 356 comprises a main carrying platform 35| of insulating material having side flanges 352 and 353. The stylus carrying rod 354 ,is pivotally mounted on the pin 400 which is passed through perforations in the flanges 352 and 353.

Owing to the insulation construction of the main platform 35| and'its associated anges, the stylus is electrically isolated from the remainder of the mechanism.

The stylus carrying rod 354 carries preferably upon the upper surface thereof, contact carrying means comprising an angularlug 356, one flange of which preferably is fastened `by rivet or screw 351 to the stylus carrying rod-354 and the other iiange of which carries an adjustable screw 358 or other lockingl or securing device for creating and maintaining an electrical contact between the wire 359 and the stylus carrying rod 354.

The stylus carrying rod 354 carries at the front end thereof the stylus 365 which is mounted in the bifurcated front end 366 of the rod 354 by means of the screw 361. The stylus itself is adjustable both as to angle and depth of mounting, in the bifurcated end 366 of the rod 354. The stylus 365 comprises preferably a main portion 31|! and an impulse transmitting needle head 31 I. The stylus head 31| preferably is .01" in diameter or less, in order that an electrical impulse of diametercorresponding to that of the transmitted impulse be recorded upon the paper.

.The base or main insulating platform of the stylus recording mechanism has an opening 315 having journals 316 at at least one side thereof in order to receive the mounting rod 311. The mounting rod 311 is secured in fixed position in the frame of the mechanism, and provides a slidable support for the stylus platform 35 I A rail or flange 380 is secured in fixed position in any suitable manner so that it projects upwardly to a position adjacent the stylus platform 35| Spring 38| is secured at 382 to a pin 383 mounted on the flange 353 of the stylus platform 35| and at the opposite end at 384 abuts the rear side of the flange orguide 380. Thus spring 38| wound about the journal 316 serves therefore, by this engagement, to cause the stylus platform 35| to tend to rotate about the shaft 311 and thus to drive the stylus head 31| towards the receiving drum 2| and the opposite end 390 of the stylus platform against the screw 344.

The opposite end 390 of the stylus platform 35| is notched at 39| and threaded in a. Vmanner corresponding to the threads of the screw 344 so that portion 39| is driven against the screw 344, there is a driving engagement between the shaft 343 and the stylus platform .35 I.

Rotation of the shaft 343 through this power Y transmitting connection, therefore, results in lateral movement of the stylus platform and of the entire receiver-scanning device 350. In order, therefore, to engage the receiver-scanning device 350 so that` it will operate to transmit impulses along a helical path to the recording paper on the recording drum 2 I, it is necessary merely to raise the stylus head and slide the stylus platform 35| along the shaft 1311 until the stylus head 31| is in proper relation with the boundary of the receiving `drum 2| and then to -releasethe' stylus head 31| whereupon the spring 38| will automatically connect the stylus support 35| to the power transmitting mechanism to obtain the necessary lateral movement for reception.

In order .to provide for any resilient adjustment that may be necessary and for a moredelicate adjustment, the styluscarrying rod 354 is rotatably mounted on the pin 400 which is carried betweenthe flanges 352 and 353. A spring is captured at 402 inl a perforation 403 of the flange 353 and is wound about the Divot pin 400. The` opposite end of vthe spring is, at 404, engaged with the top of the stylus-carrying rod 354 and the spring therefore is so arranged that it is biased to drive the bifurcated end 36B of the stylus carrying rod 350 downwardly 'and hence to drive the stylus head 31| against the recording paper upon the receiving drum.

The main platform 35| of the stylus scanning device is arranged to permit any downward (or counterclockwise) movement of the stylus carrying rod 350 with respect thereto. The rail or flange or other vguiding means 380 is necessary merely for the purpose of providing a purchase or support for the spring 38|, whatever the position of the stylus may be, and hence any other suitable medium may be used as, for instance, a rod mounted in a similar position.

The receiving-scanning device and its stylus may be connected or disconnected from power transmitting connection with the shaft 353 and placed in a position at one end or the other of the receiving drum beyond the threaded portion 300 of shaft 303 where it will not eectively record any impulses whatever. Likewise, and in a similar manner, the stylus may be placed appropriately for recording; and the lateral feed, by means of the screw 3,53 may be utilized toobtain the necessary helical scanning operation.

The stylus head 37| may have any suitable conformation and be made of any suitable material for transmitting the received electrical impulses to the recording paper. Owing tothe fact that preferably a-recording paper is to be used, the stylus head 37| will preferably be rounded off so `as not to snag, catch or otherwise disturb, tear or distort the paper. However, bythe present novel construction, any necessity for such par ticular treatment of the stylus head may well be obviated particularly by reason of the fact that the motion of the stylus with respect to the paper is a trailing one.

While normallyin many of the prior stylus recording devices, the stylus is held against the paper in such manner that the axis of the stylus is perpendicular to any tangent drawn to the paper at that particular point; in the present stylus, the action of the stylus itself is a trailing tangential one, normally permitting the stylus to 2,391,145 when under the fbias of the spring 30| the notched ride over any irregularities and normally tending to overcomeany unevenness in the operation thereof. -stylus is spring supported by means mainly of the spring 40| as well as also by the spring 38| so that it may give or rise to any irregularity in the surface ofthe paper or to any other snagging condition which may occur in operation.

By this novel mounting of the, stylus, therefore, and the novel arrangement of the angle of the stylus with respect to the paper, it is necessary therefore, only to make sure that the bearing surface of the stylus does not exceed the width of any particular scanning line and further to make sure simply\that the bearing surface of the stylus is sufficiently smooth to avoid any snagging or tearing of the paper, keeping in mind that the motion 4of the stylus is a trailing, tangential one'. r

The particular arrangement of springs for causing the stylus to maintain proper contact with both the drivingmeans and the recording means may be varied as circumstances require.

The stylus scanning device 350 is driven not from the main drive of the motor, but from the shaft |50 upon which the receiving drum 2| is mounted. Its movement is exactly in accordance with the movement of the receiving drum 2| and any variation in movement of the receiving drum results in a corresponding variation in 'the movement of the stylus scanning means 350.

Impulses are detected and amplified by any suitable receiver, and conducted to the stylus and therefrom through the recording paper into the recording drum to produce a record corresponding to the received impulses employing suitable recording paper in the manner described more specifically in my application Serial Nos. 240,675

(Patent No. 3,313,970 of Aug. 27,4940) and 266,-

Each of the parts herein set forth has obviously been described in. its preferred form and in the commercial embodiment heretofore found completely successful.

vThe adaptability and use of the device in mobile units is important. Thus, for two way facsimile communication between plane and plane, or plane and ground, or for two way facsimile communication between police automobiles or police automobiles and central station, or for any other type of two way facisimile communication wherein the device must be simple in operation, light in Weight and economical and inexpensive in construction, the present device solves a .problem which has heretofore gone without any adequate solution.

With ythe present device, it is even possible to receive and transmit the same or different facsimile records simultaneously upon a single duplex unit.

During the transmitting operation, the operator may, if he so desires, move the stylus of the receiving portion of the unit over to one side so that it will not traverse the receiving drum .during the operation. This is not an essential movement unless the wear of the stylus head is to be avoided.

For receiving it is necessary for the operator merely to wrap a recording sheet about the receiving drum 2|, securing the same in place by means of the garters |2|, place the stylus head, by the method hereinbefore described, in position at one side' of the recording sheet, and turn the knob 38 (Fig. l) which is connected to rotate drum 2| so that the stylus head starts its 'This is particularly so since the recording at one corner of the recording sheet and connect the device with the receiver of his radio or with' any other suitable facsimile receiver. For this purpose, the operator may, if he so desires, move the transmitter scanner over to one side by depressing the push-button 330 (Fig. l), but it is not essential that he do so.

Many other variations in particular portions of the device may be made and many other variations in the uses to which the device may be put may now be understood by those skilled in the art within the spirit of the present invention.

I claim:

l. In facsimile apparatus of the character described, a rotatable record receiving drum and a recording stylus in engagement therewith, a rod carrying said stylus, a platform, said rod being pivoted on the platform, said platform being pivctally and slidably mounted on a bar and having a threaded surface at the end opposite the stylus end, a drive screw for said recording stylus, spring means releasably biasing the threaded surface of said platform against said drive screw, and additional spring means on said platform yieldingly and releasably biasing said stylus into engagement with said recording drum.

2. In facsimile apparatus having means for supporting a record receiving surface: a recording member comprising a principal arm; means biasing said arm toward said record receiving surface; an auxiliary arm pivotally mounted on said principal arm; additional means biasing said auxiliary arm toward said record receiving surface; and additional means on said auxiliary arm supporting and positioning a recording stylus.

3.1m facsimile apparatus having means for supporting a record receiving surface: a recording member comprising a principal arm; a principal means biasing said principal arm toward said record receiving surface; means for moving said principal arm along said record receiving surface; an auxiliary arm pivotally mounted on said principal arm; additional means biasing said auxiliary arm toward said record receiving surface; and additional means on said auxiliary arm adjustably supporting and positioning a recording stylus; said principal biasing means comprising a spring member one end of which bears against said principal arm, and a stationary member disposed parallel to the path of movement of said principal arm, the `other end of said spring being in slidable engagement with said member.

g WILLIAM G. H. FINCH. 

